SAR HS 396 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Smog, Sulfur Monoxide, Tropospheric Ozone

• School: Boston University
• Department: Health Sciences
• Course: SAR HS 396
• Professor: Bria Dunham

Document Summary

Depends, epa rules on emissions for more than 80 industrial source categories. Volatile organic compounds (benzene, terpenes, toluene: anthropogenic: solvents, glues, smoking, combustion, biogenic: vegetation, forest fires, health effects: range of effects depending on compound; irritation of respiratory tract, nausea, cancer; precursor to ozone; contributes to pm. Biological pollutants (pollens, molds, mildew: anthropogenic: systems such as central air conditions, can create conditions that encourage production of biological pollutants, biogenic: trees, grasses, ragweed, animals, debris, health effects: allergic reactions, respiratory symptoms, fatigue, asthma secondary pollutants. Air pollution in urban and industrial areas (smog: photochemical smog: noxious mixture of gases and particles, is produced when strong sunlight triggers photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. Quality of air remains serious public health problem despite progress made tropospheric ozone formed through chemical reactions of anthropogenic and biogenic precursors (voc and nox) in presence of sunlight. Health effects: decreased lung function; increased respiratory symptoms; eye irritations; broncho-constriction.